City to continue work on pedestrian paths, road projects

Some long-awaited pedestrian projects are expected to break ground in 2019.

Ward 5 City Councilor Jennifer Andress said residents should see construction on Phase II of the Shades Creek Greenway and the pedestrian bridge on Hollywood Boulevard in the coming months.

The City Council has secured the last right-of-way access for the greenway, a process that has taken several years, and is working with Goodwyn Mills Cawood on design. This phase of construction would extend the greenway from its western endpoint to the Wildwood area, along Lakeshore Drive.

Andress anticipated construction will begin in 2019’s second quarter.

A Phase III for the greenway is planned but has not been given a timeline. This phase would build a pedestrian bridge over Lakeshore Drive and connect the walking and bike path to West Homewood Park, according to city plans.

The city has also created a cooperative district with Birmingham and Mountain Brook and raised $1 million for the construction of the Hollywood pedestrian bridge, over U.S. 280. Andress said now that the district is approved, they can begin cashing checks and begin accepting bids for design and construction.

She estimated that work will begin on Hollywood Boulevard in the second quarter of 2019, as well.

As for other sidewalks around Homewood, current plans include new paths on Rumson Road and a crosswalk across Shades Creek Parkway at Brookwood Village. In November, the City Council also approved payments to homeowners on Hillmoor Lane for easements to build the Patriot Parkconnector path.

Ward 1 City Councilor Britt Thames said the city will add sidewalks and decorative lighting to Reese Street, now that it has become a one-way road from Central Avenue to Linden Avenue. 

Nearby, Thames said the city is studying a pedestrian route to connect the two segments of Central Avenue, near the curve that takes the road toward 18th Street.

For Homewood’s roads, the city will work with Volkert Engineering on dual projects in 2019. Volkert created a paving priority plan for the city in 2016, and Parks and Recreation Director Berkley Squires said the city will meet with Volkert officials in January to decide specific priorities for the year. 

The paving priorities will also be determined by a meeting with local utility companies to find out plans for work that will involve cutting into roadways in the next five years. 

Volkert was also contracted by the City Council in August to perform a citywide traffic study, which Ward 1 Councilor Britt Thames said will get underway soon. A date for Volkert to present its findings and any proposed solutions has not been set.

The fate of the diverging diamond interchange at Lakeshore Drive and Interstate 65 is unclear at this point. ALDOT has set a bid date for the project work for January, but city Chief of Staff J.J. Bischoff said they were experiencing some delays that may push back the construction.

The plans include new off and on ramps for I-65 and a “diverging diamond,” which crosses traffic to the opposite side of the road at the bridge over the interstate, creating an opportunity for drivers to veer left onto the interstate without stopping. It also allows vehicles approaching Lakeshore from I-65 off ramps to merge into traffic instead of waiting for a light.

The city will also look at some stormwater drainage improvements  around Bonita Drive and Roxbury Road. See page A6 for more details.

Visit thehomewoodstar.com throughout the year for updates on sidewalk construction, paving and roadwork around Homewood.

This story is part of our Year in Preview. See more here.